NEW DELHI: Progressing towards self-reliance in the defence industry, India's first indigenous aircraft carrier will be in the waters by 2011,

Indian Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta said Wednesday.

The under-construction aircraft carrier will be ready in two years.

"Our indigenous aircraft carrier is being constructed in Kochi. It has been three years since the work started. On Feb 28, what we call keel laying of the carrier will take place," Mehta told reporters here.

The building of a ship can be divided into seven phases: design, construction planning, work prior to keel laying, ship erection, launching, final outfitting, and sea trials.

"Many of the parts have already been constructed. My estimate is that it should be in the water in two years," Mehta said.

The aircraft carrier is expected to have 40,000 tonne displacement capacity at an estimated cost of Rs.3,000 crore (Rs.30 billion).

The keel of India's first indigenous aircraft carrier, to be the second warship christened INS Vikrant, will be laid on February 28 at Kochi. But it is now clear that while Cochin Shipyards will build three aircraft carriers in the current 37,500-ton category (the second and third are to be christened INS Viraat and INS Vishaal apparently), design work has already begun in earnest to develop and build two more aircraft carriers with not only much larger displacements, but possibly nuclear propulsion as well.

Unlike what the model in the photograph depicts, the new INS Vikrant will almost definitely be inaugurated with a flight of MiG-29Ks as its commissioning deck birds rather than the Naval Light Combat Aircraft (the Express has a report about this today). More details soon.

BANGALORE: The Navy’s acquisition of the 45,000-tonne Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov may have run into serious cost and time overruns. But it has not come in the way of the type conversion training in Russia of Indian naval pilots who will fly the MiG-29K aircraft that are going to be part of the carrier once it gets commissioned into the Navy as INS Vikramaditya.

Speaking to The Hindu during the recent Aero India 2009, the Director-General of the Russian Aircraft Corporation (RAC) MiG, Mikhail Aslanovich Pogosyan said naval pilots were presently being given flight training, with the training in theory just completed.

The six-month intensive training for pilots from the Indian Navy started in October.

As part of its aircraft carrier plans, the Indian Navy in January 2004 ordered at a cost of $740 million 16 MiG-29Ks from Russia that included 12 single-seat MiG-29Ks and four tandem-seat MiG-29KUB operational conversion trainers.

The 16 aircraft are also being upgraded from purely medium multi-role combat fighters into dedicated, network-centric information warfare platforms that possess force-multiplier capabilities such as airborne early warning & control as well as offensive electronic jamming.

Mr. Pogosyan, who has recently been appointed by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as the overall head of nearly all of Russia’s defence manufacturing and designing industry, said four certified MiG-29Ks had already been transferred to the Indian project team in Russia.

“Indian pilots are already training to fly the MiG-29Ks from a shore-based facility. They have been doing even 15 sorties in a day during the winter. We expect the first four MiG-29Ks to arrive in India later this year, with the other 12 being delivered by 2010.” Mr. Pogosyan also disclosed that the MiG-29Ks meant for India would be certified by Russian pilots taking of from a Russian carrier. However there were no plans as of now for Indian pilots to train from a Russian carrier.

Once the trained pilots are back in India, the Navy hopes to continue their training by using the Shore-based Test Facility (SBTF) that has been constructed with Russian help at the naval airbase INS Hansa in Goa.

“Indian pilots are already training to fly the MiG-29Ks from a shore-based facility. They have been doing even 15 sorties in a day during the winter. We expect the first four MiG-29Ks to arrive in India later this year, with the other 12 being delivered by 2010.”

New Delhi (IANS): As Russia continues escalating the price for the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov much to the chagrin of the defence establishment here, India is all set for the keel laying of its first indigenous carrier for which Rs.3,260 crore (Rs.32.60 billion/$654 million) has initially been allocated.

The keel will be laid at the Cochin Shipyard on Feb 28.

"The present sanction for the construction of the aircraft carrier under Project-71 (as it is technically named) is Rs.3,260 crore (Rs.32.60 billion)," a defence source said.

However, this is likely to rise considerably, given the history of India's indigenous defence projects. For instance, Rs.150 million were initially allocated for the Arjun main battle tank that has been almost four decades in the making and which has so far cost Rs.3.5 billion.

The carrier, with a 40,000-tonne displacement, will be ready to sail by 2011. It is not only the first military warship to be built at Cochin Shipyard but also the largest military vessel to be constructed at any Indian yard.

"The aircraft carrier will be a big boost for the shipbuilding capability of the country. We will become the fourth nation besides the US, Russia and France to have the capability of building a carrier," an Indian Navy official told IANS.

Britain also the capability to build carriers but these are now in shambles.

"Work on the construction of the aircraft carrier started in 2006. It required nearly 300 people working on the ship designing for 2-3 years. It will be a spin-off for the industry because steel, lagging material, generators and other things are indigenous," the official added.

The building of a ship can be divided into seven phases: design, construction planning, work prior to keel laying, ship erection, launching, final outfitting, and sea trials.

What makes the carrier special is that it is built with steel produced by state-owned SAIL (Steel Authority of India ltd.) The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) are also involved in the project.

India, which plans to operate three aircraft carriers by 2015, is also purchasing the Admiral Gorshkov, which was built in 1987. However, the deal has sparked a lot of controversy as Russia now is demanding a staggering $2.9 billion, which is almost twice as much as was originally agreed on.

"India needs the Gorshkov to replace (its sole aircraft carrier) INS Viraat, which is currently undergoing refurbishment. We were expecting a price hike of $300-400 million during the refit in Russia of the Gorshkov but we were stunned when Russia proposed a cost escalation of $1.2 billion in 2007," another senior navy official said.

That pushed up the cost from Rs.1.5 billion to $2.7 billion and the Russians are now demanding $2.9 billion.

New Delhi (PTI): With the keel-laying of the indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) on February 28, India will join an elite club of nations having the capability to build large warships.

Defence minister A K Antony will formally lay the keel at Cochin Shipyard's Construction Dock marking the launch of the first phase of building the 40,000 tonne air craft carrier, Navy sources said here on Monday.

Among the naval powers of the world, only the US, Russia, France and the UK have carrier building capability. Even among these four, the UK is yet to build a carrier with a 40,000 tonne displacement, sources said.

Started in 2002 with the designing of the IAC, the project gained steam in 2006 when the construction of the warships' building blocks began. The Cochin Shipyard has already completed about 8,000 tonnes of work with steel procured from SAIL and DRDO, sources said.

Initially sanctioned amount for the project, codenamed P-71, will be Rs 3,260 crore, but it would be increased with the progress of the project and as per requirements, sources said.

With an optimum capacity to carry 30 aircraft, the IAC will hand it over to Navy in 2014. It would have Russian MIG-29 K Fighters, indigenous Light Combat Aircraft, and Kamov-31 helicopters on board.

New Delhi, Feb 23 (ANI): Taking a step ahead in the modernisation of the Navy, India will become the fourth country in the world to build its own aircraft carrier or air defence ship (ADS) after the United States, Russia and France.

Defence Minister A.K. Antony will lay the keel for countrys first indigenous aircraft carrier on February 28 at the Cochin shipyard in Kerala. The ADS will give a major boost to the indigenous defence industry and make the Navy a pure Blue Water Navy.

Only three countries in the world have designed/built an aircraft carrier of such a size and a ship of such complexity and size is being built in the country for the first time, said a top Defence Ministry official.

The aircraft carrier will be in the waters by October 2010, as per the phase I contract signed by its manufacturer Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) with the Defence Ministry. The phase II of the contract will end with the delivery of the ship to the Navy by the end of 2014.

The life of the carrier is 50 years and more than 70 percent of design is indigenous. Apart from it, the construction is 100 percent indigenous having 70 percent home made components, the Defence Ministry official said.

The aircraft carrier can have 30 fighter jets on board and its fleet will basically comprise of MiG 29 K and Ka-31.

The design work started in 2001-02 is in full progress now and the fabrication of hull blocks has already started.

The aircraft carrier will have 40,000 tonne displacement capacity and is being built at an estimated cost of Rs.3, 260 crore. Eight thousand tonne of steel laying has already been completed.

As per the original plan, the carrier would have Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and the ALH (Advanced Light Helicopter) Dhruv in its fleet of 30 assorted aircraft besides MiG 29 K and Ka-31.

The Directorate of Naval Design, the only in-house design bureau in the world, has prepared the design of the ADS. Equipments to be fitted on the aircraft carrier are to meet special requirements of shock, vibration, noise, stealth, compactness in size and weight, the official said.

The INS Viraat is the only full deck aircraft carrier currently in operation with the Navy. (ANI)

Idiots, cant even make a proper accurate CGI! They should learn from the Chinese on how to use photoshop!

Anyways I am invited for the Keel laying ceremony and I am going for it!

PS: Did anyone notice that IAC will be only nearly 700 million, heck lets for funsake add another 700 million for cost overuns, still it is cheaper than the Gorshkov, and has more years on her as well as more technology! India should leave that deal! and walk away!

Idiots, cant even make a proper accurate CGI! They should learn from the Chinese on how to use photoshop!

Anyways I am invited for the Keel laying ceremony and I am going for it!

PS: Did anyone notice that IAC will be only nearly 700 million, heck lets for funsake add another 700 million for cost overuns, still it is cheaper than the Gorshkov, and has more years on her as well as more technology! India should leave that deal! and walk away!

Click to expand...

What about the development cost and cost for building the infrastructure?

Idiots, cant even make a proper accurate CGI! They should learn from the Chinese on how to use photoshop!

Anyways I am invited for the Keel laying ceremony and I am going for it!

PS: Did anyone notice that IAC will be only nearly 700 million, heck lets for funsake add another 700 million for cost overuns, still it is cheaper than the Gorshkov, and has more years on her as well as more technology! India should leave that deal! and walk away!

Click to expand...

India has paid toooooo much money on the Gorshav...it cannot walk away now. Moreover, India will finally have a "new" aircraft carrier to replace the Virant.

There's a total of US$2.5 billion still available from the final account settling of the Ruppee-Rouble trading arrangement from the days of the erstwhile USSR. Therefore, rather than pay the money to India in cash, the Ruskies in the mid-1990s suggested that they would like to pay back in kind. India said yes and this is how two projects were born: to dry-lease two Akula-2 SSGNs and to acquire the refurbished aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov and its complement of on-board aircraft.

NEW DELHI, February 26 (RIA Novosti) - The keel-laying ceremony for India's Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) will take place this coming Saturday, the country's Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

It described the IAC, 260 m long and 60 m wide, as "a milestone in Indian shipbuilding."

Developed by the Navy Design Organization and to be built at the Cochin Shipyard, the IAC will have the capability to operate "a mix of aircraft," including Russian MiG-29K fighters and Ka-31 combat helicopters, as well as domestically made light combat aircraft (LCA).

The ministry said the ship would be propelled by two LM2500 gas turbines developing a total power of 80 MW, sufficient to attain speeds up to 28 knots. It will have an endurance of around 8,000 NM and a crew of 1,600.

The IAC, with two takeoff runways and one landing strip with 3 arrester wires, can carry up to 30 aircraft.

Kochi (PTI): India will join the select club of 40,000 tonne plus aircraft carrier designers and builders when Defence Minister A K Antony lays the keel of the First Indigenous Aircraft Carrier of the Indian Navy at Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) here on Saturday.

In partnership with the Indian Navy, CSL will be one among the few shipyards of the world to have attempted to construct the Aircraft carrier.

This is the first project in Warship construction for the yard, which has wide experience in commercial building of all varieties of ships, a navy press release said.

The Indigenous aircraft carrier, designed by Navy's Design Organisation, will be capable of operating an aircraft mix of Russian MiG-29K, Ka31 and indigenous LCA.

The ship will have two takeoff runways and a landing strip with three arrester wires. The ship can carry a maximum of 30 aircraft with adequate hangarage capacity.

Naval chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta will be among the dignitaries present at the ceremony.

NEW DELHI: India is on the verge of emerging as one of the major warship builders. This Saturday will mark a milestone in this journey as the keel of the country’s first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier is laid at the Kochi shipyard.

The ambitious project started three years ago after it began taking shape on the drawing board in 2002. By the end of 2010, the first phase of this 40,000-tonne warship is expected to be completed with possible delivery by 2014, defence sources said.

Defence Minister A.K. Antony will witness the ceremony on Saturday. The IAC is designed to carry 30 combat aircraft/ helicopters, and a force of 1,600 personnel on board which, in terms of height, compares to a 14-storey building. It is designed to launch the MiG-29K and the naval variant of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft and helicopters.

At present only the United States, Russia and France have designed and built a warship of this size.

KOCHI: India on Saturday laid the keel of the country's first aircraft carrier here, heralding the coming of age of the Indian Navy as a maritime
power.

Speaking at the Cochin Shipyard Ltd, Defence Minister A.K. Antony described the occasion as a "historic moment for India". "It is a crucial milestone and a moment to cherish in the country's maritime history."

The yard began steel cutting for the project in April 2005, after the government sanctioned the design in January 2003.

The planned ship will be 260 metres long and 60 metres wide and will be propelled by two LM2,500 gas turbines that will enable it to attain speed of over 28 knots.

It will also have two runways and a landing strip and carry a maximum of 30 aircraft.